Brittle star

Uncommon card · No. 140625

Brittle stars, serpent stars, or ophiuroids (from Latin ophiurus 'brittle star'; from Ancient Greek ὄφις (óphis) 'serpent' and οὐρά (ourá) 'tail'; referring to the serpent-like arms of the brittle star) are star-shaped echinoderms in the taxonomic class Ophiuroidea. The Ophiuroidea contain two large clades, Ophiurida (brittle stars) and Euryalida (basket stars). Over 2,100 species of brittle stars spread across 256 recognized genera live today, making the class of Ophiuroidea the most diverse and abundant of all other classes of echinoderms. They are found from the tropics to the poles, from coastal shores to the hadal zone, with more than 1,200 of the species found in depths of greater than 200 m (656 ft). Despite their abundance, brittle stars have not been well-researched like their cousins, the Asteroidea (starfish). They play a vital role in marine ecosystems by enriching the environment. Brittle stars crawl across the sea floor using their flexible arms for locomotion. They generally...

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